South Indian Style Tomato Rasam Recipe For Light Dinner

By Yashika Goel
07 Jul 2025, 20:00 IST

Tomato rasam is a tangy and flavourful South Indian dish. It is a perfect balance of sweet and spicy flavours. Tap to read the recipe.

Ingredients

3-4 medium tomatoes, half a cup of toor dal, 2-3 cups of water, one chopped tomato, a teaspoon of tamarind paste, one tablespoon of jaggery, salt to taste, two teaspoons of coriander seeds, a teaspoon of cumin seeds, half a teaspoon of peppercorns, 2-3 dry red chillies and 10-12 curry leaves.

Prepare tomatoes

Start by thoroughly washing the tomatoes and removing the peel. Cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces.

Prepare rasam powder

Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, red chillies, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, and asafoetida (hing). Grind this into a fine powder.

Cook rasam

Take a pan and add chopped tomato pieces, chopped tomato, water, tamarind paste, jaggery and salt. Cook it on a low flame and let it boil for 5-10 minutes.

Add toor dal

Now, add the cooked toor dal to the pan and stir it well. Let it boil for another five minutes and add coriander leaves.

Prepare tempering

Take a pan and heat some ghee and add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Add tempering to the cooked rasam and mix well.

Garnish and serve

Add the prepared rasam powder to the rasam and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and lemon juice. Serve it with hot steamed rice for a comforting dinner.

Information credits

This recipe is taken from the chef Sanjeev Kapoor's official website, @sanjeevkapoor.com.